Ch 51 : Physical Test

On an open field, the group of Class 1A students gathered in front of Teacher Eleanor, the anticipation palpable.

"Is everyone here? Please double-check to see if any of your friends are missing. We'll start as soon as you're all gathered," Teacher Eleanor said, scanning the group.

After a few moments, one of the students confirmed, "Everyone's here."

"Good," Teacher Eleanor continued, "I'll now explain the test. As you can see, there are several dummies set up 20 meters away. Your task is to use the basic Tier 1 spells that we've covered in class to attack the dummies. Is that clear?"

The students nodded in unison, understanding the task ahead of them.

"Great, I'll call your names one by one. When you're called, please step forward," Teacher Eleanor said, before beginning to call the students.

One by one, the students took their turn. The spells were executed well, as expected from Teacher Eleanor's thorough teaching. Most of the students passed the test effortlessly, a testament to the training they had received.

"Alice!" Teacher Eleanor called out.

Alice's face lit up as she eagerly stepped forward. "It's my turn!" she said, rushing to the stage.

"Are you ready, Alice?" Teacher Eleanor asked.

"Umm, teacher, is it alright if I use a more advanced spell instead?" Alice asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Oh? An advanced spell? Well, let's see the basic one first, and if you manage that well, I'll let you try the advanced spell. How does that sound?" Teacher Eleanor replied, amused by Alice's enthusiasm.

"Sure!" Alice agreed eagerly.

With a quick breath, Alice cast Fireball Toss, sending a blazing fireball soaring towards the dummy. The fireball exploded on impact, but the dummy remained intact, as expected.

"Good technique, Alice. Now, for your next spell," Teacher Eleanor encouraged.

"Flame Burst!" Alice shouted, and with a burst of flames, the dummy was scorched, smoke rising from the charred wood.

"Impressive! You've really mastered the basics, and even your advanced spell looks well-practiced. Keep up the hard work," Teacher Eleanor praised.

"Hehehe, thanks, teacher," Alice replied, beaming as she returned to the group.

Next, Eliot stepped up. Like Alice, he asked to use advanced spells, impressing everyone with Aqua Jet and Binding Wave. Teacher Eleanor praised his mastery just as she had with Alice. Auron and Thyra, on the other hand, chose to stick with basic spells, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention. Both passed effortlessly.

Once the test concluded, Teacher Eleanor smiled warmly at the group. "Well done, everyone! I'm glad to see that you've all passed. Some of you have even mastered advanced spells, which is quite impressive. Keep working hard, and I expect to see even more progress after your holiday. Enjoy your break!" she said.

As soon as Teacher Eleanor dismissed them, the students left the training ground, excited to head home for the two month-long holiday. Auron and his friends, however, had other plans—they made their way to the Combat Training Ground to watch Auron and Walter take their physical tests.

At the Combat Training Ground, Walter could be seen lounging under a tree, enjoying the peaceful moment before his test.

"Hey, Walter! How's it going?" Alice called out as they approached.

Walter sat up and grinned. "Oh, you guys are here! Of course I passed the test. I'm at the 6th layer of Tier 1, just like Alice," he said proudly.

Eliot laughed. "Hahaha, did you wait long?"

"Nah, I got here a few minutes ago. This tree was calling my name, so I decided to rest," Walter replied, reclining on the grass again.

Just then, Sir Baldwin arrived with a few assistants. He carried several large stones of varying sizes.

"All Class 1A students, gather here!" Sir Baldwin shouted, his booming voice echoing across the field.

Auron immediately ran off toward the field, leaving Walter startled behind. Walter scrambled to his feet, chasing after Auron, while Thyra, Alice, and Eliot laughed at the sight.

"Alright, today's test has two parts: strength and combat art. First, you'll lift these stones, which range from 10 to 60 kilograms. I'll give you a score based on how much you can lift," Sir Baldwin explained. "For the second part, my colleague, Sir Percival, a knight from Gloom Watch Keep Fortress, will assess your combat art skills to ensure fairness and credibility."

He gestured to Sir Percival, who gave the group a polite nod.

"When you're ready, step forward. Let's begin with the weight-lifting test," Sir Baldwin said, gesturing to the stones.

"I'll go first!" Walter said confidently, stepping forward before anyone else.

He approached the 40kg stone and, using all his strength, managed to lift it, though his arms trembled under the weight. After ten seconds, he dropped it back down, breathing heavily.

"I'll give you that. You barely managed 40kg, but you need more training to stabilize your lift," Sir Baldwin said, marking down Walter's score. Sir Percival nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Sirs," Walter muttered, clearly exhausted as he went to recover before the combat art portion of the test.

Next, Auron approached, but before he could start, Sir Baldwin stopped him.

"You don't need to take this test. I'll give you full marks," Sir Baldwin said.

Auron blinked in surprise. "Oh, uh, thanks, Sir," he replied, returning to his friends.

Sir Percival looked puzzled and asked, "Why did you stop him?"

"That kid's already at Tier 2 Augmenter strength. Asking him to lift these stones is a waste of time," Sir Baldwin explained with a grin.

Sir Percival looked Auron up and down. "Really? He looks so unassuming. His strength rivals that of a Tier 2 Augmenter? I wouldn't have guessed."

Sir Baldwin chuckled. "You'll get to see it in action later."

As the rest of the class went through the weight-lifting test, some students struggled to even lift the 20kg stone, which was the minimum passing requirement. Sir Baldwin scolded those who failed, his face red with frustration.

"That's harsh," Thyra muttered, feeling sympathy for the struggling students.

Walter snorted. "They didn't even come to class most days. It's their own fault for not putting in the effort."

After reprimanding the students, Sir Baldwin addressed the class. "This academy isn't a place for slacking off. If you want to play, then leave. If you're here, you need to work hard. Even if you have talent, it's useless if you don't make an effort. Strength doesn't come overnight—you have to earn it," he said sternly, his voice still carrying the anger from earlier.

"I'll give you some time to prepare for the next test. When you're ready, come forward," he concluded.

The students nodded, many of them now motivated to work harder for the next challenge.